Page 53 of The Surrogate Nanny

“Stop! Don’t touch her!” I cried out when one of them grabbed my arm, and the other attempted to snatch Nori from me. “You can’t take my baby from me!” I yelled as we engaged in tug-o-war over Nori.

“Ma’am, let go of the child, or we’ll have to use force.”

I immediately released her, not wanting Nori to get injured. An officer wrenched my arms behind me and cuffed me.

Not again! How is this happening again?

“My phone. I dropped it. My lawyer is Jonathan Baker, and he can clear everything up.”

The woman’s mouth dropped in disbelief, and the color drained from her face.

From her reaction, it’s safe to say she knows Jonathan.

All the fight left my body when I was read my rights. I was lowered into the back of the police cruiser, and the door slammed shut. It was like deja vu. I was transported back to the day in the courtroom when my world came crashing down and my life was over—back to when unfortunate circumstances, the law, and a cruel man took my child from me.

Tears streamed down my face as Nori cried for me. Even from the back of the squad car, I could see that her face was red from exertion.

Why are they so persistent? She’s reaching out and crying for me. Yet, that’s not enough. Will it ever be enough? Will I always have to fight this uphill battle where I have to prove to strangers that Nori’s mine?

That numb feeling I felt when Nori was taken from me started settling in again. It was different this time around because I could identify that feeling—inadequacy—a failure of a mother to protect her child.

Is it something I did? Is this Karma? Some divine retribution for something I don’t remember, or punishment that followed me from my former life? Dear, God. Please...make it stop.

Chapter Twenty-One

Anthony

I lay on my back—panting and sweating from the exertion of my therapy appointment.

“Good job, Anthony. I’m impressed with your progress,” Dr. Doran praised.

“I-I want to lodge a complaint against you.”

“Get in line. As much as I’d love to watch you writhe on the floor in pain, I have other patients to torture—I mean, help,” she teased with a warm smile. I laughed and slowly pulled myself to my feet.

“I need to skip an upcoming appointment.”

“Why? Did something come up?”

“I’m taking my girls on vacation.”

“Your girls? Speaking it into existence, huh?”

“Something like that,” I answered shyly.

“I say good for you, and I hope you and yourgirlshave an amazing trip, and I’m sorry again that your appointment ran a little later.”

“It’s no big deal. I’ll let reception know to adjust my appointments.”

I left the gym of my physical therapist’s office and retrieved my phone from my gym bag. I worked my ass off and could use a double scoop of cookies and cream ice cream and wanted my girls to join me. Was it presumptuous to refer to Simone as mine? Yes, but I already envisioned a future with her and would clarify my intentions when we talked.

“What the hell?” I whispered when I found 32 missed calls and 19 text messages from Jonathan and Simone. I immediately called Simone.

“Hello?”

“Jonathan? What are you doing with Simone’s phone? Are the girls okay?”

“The girls are safe and at home. I’m here with them now.”